A brother who wouldn't celebrate Rakshabandhan

The brutal gang-rape of a paramedic student in Delhi on the night of December 16, 2012 shook the souls of several people across India and abroad.

Angry protestors came out of their houses in large numbers on the streets of Delhi and elsewhere in their cry against the horrific incident.

One young man, however, had no idea about the wave of protestors hitting the streets.

Cut off from the world, he silently stood either outside the ICU ward where braveheart 'Nirbhaya' swung between life and death or just spent time by her bed side, sending out fervent prayers for his sister to get back to health soon.

The young man was Nirbhaya's brother.

On the occasion of Rakshabandhan, Nirbhaya's brother remembered his sister and explained how he doesn't let anyone tie a rakhi on his wrist anymore in an exclusive interview with ANI.

He said, "Didi was my only sister. She used to take leave from her institute in Dehradun before the festival of Rakshabandhan and would come over to Delhi to celebrate the festival with us. My younger brother and I had to take bath early in the morning, after which Didi would tie rakhi on our wrists. I have cousins but Didi would be the first one to tie us Rakhi before anyone else. But now the festival has ceased to have any meaning for me. After Didi's death I have promised myself that I wouldn't ever let anyone tie me Rakhi. It will be the second Rakshabandhan since Didi's death and the festival just passes in remembering my sister."

He also added, "I wouldn't be going to Delhi on the occasion of Rakshabandhan as I see no sense in doing that. My mother would keep staring at me and my brother and would keep crying. I would just be reminiscing about all the good memories I had with my sister when she was alive."

Sharing his childhood memories with ANI, he added, "My mother tells me that when my Didi was about three years old she didn't have any brother. She used to insist my parents that she wants a brother. Then I was born in August. It was Rakshabandhan on the day I was born and Didi tied Rakhi on my hand on that very day only. Since then, for next 20 years we never missed Rakshabandhan. And now I will always have to miss Rakshabandhan. She had to tie Rakhi to my other cousins also but, she would select the best and costliest Rakhi for us."

When asked about the way his sister's trial was proceeding, he said, "Initially the case was proceeding fast. But now it has come to how other legal cases work in this country. We are given a fresh date every time the case comes up for hearing. My family and I want the case to move fast and the culprits to be punished. Saying that they should be given the harshest punishment is not enough. It's time now to actually carry out the punishment. They have been convicted and now they should be hanged to death."

He also stated that his family has been unable to move on since his sister passed away, "My family has not been able to move on after that incident. My mother doesn't keep good health now and even underwent a surgery."

"All kind of people walk up to us and pester to open a trust in Didi's name, make them members of that trust and do something for the society. While we are always ready to do something for the society and help others, we don't want to trivialise and commercialise the whole matter," he added.

He also said that it pained his family to see similar incidents happening even now and really want to do something. He reiterated that all of the convicts in his sister's case must be hanged.

Nirbhaya's brother also said that he would share his thoughts about the aftermath of the incident that changed his family's life at an appropriate occasion.

"I think whatever my parents did was right and even now also whatever they do is correct. As for me, I do have loads in my heart to tell and share but I think I will do it at an appropriate occasion to tell how our life changed. As of now I remain quiet and just want the culprits to be hanged to death," he said.